Author
Topic: Making my Gouda in Thailand (Read 2847 times)

First post in the Thailand section Well, i recently re-started cheese making ...the first time i tried was not very successful. So i decided as second cheese since re-start ( first one was fromage blanc ) a Gouda....i have started up with rather "wild" equipment but am trying to get more suitable stuff as time progresses....

---------------------------------------------------------------------How i proceeded:

1) warm the Milk to 85 Fahrenheit (29,5 degree Celsius ) while doing this i also started making the salt brine simply adding 2 cups of salt in warm water and dissolveOn picture left the milk and right side the salt brine:

2) the Salt brine is ready once Salt is dissolved and placed in the freezer to cool down (later transfer to fridge)

3) add the Mesophilic Starter & calcium chloride and stir

4) dissolve rennet tablet in cold water ( do not use hot water )

5) when rennet is dissolved add it to the milk and stir for 5 minutes

6) Allow milk to set for about 2 hourshere picture of the already thickening milk after 30 min:

here picture of the curds after 1 hour:

7) After 2 hours your curds should be firm enough to have a clean break - this when you need to cut the curds into half inch cubes ,best with a long knife

8.) let the curds sit to firm up

9) very slowly raise temperature to 102 Fahrenheit (39 celcius) - this temperature climb shall happen in as slow as 45 minutes and during this time gently , very gently you start to stir very slow in order that the curds don't mat together

10) once you reached the 102 fahrenheit ( 39 celcius) remove carefully 3 cups of whey and replace it with 3 cups of water ( also 102 fahrenheit/39 celcius) .

11) keep the curds for another 45 minutes at 102 fahrenheit (39 celcius) and repeat the 3 cups whey with water exchange every 15 minutes.

12) Drain the whey off by pouring through a cheesechlothe lined colander:

13) press the cheese with appr. 9kg of weight for 45 mini used a water filled pot to press on it

14) i prepared a cheesemold by making holes into a CD case with a soldering Gun (note this need to be 2 CD case as one is the base and the other one for pressing must go on top)

here the cheese mold with the second part for pressing on top:

14) transfer the curds into the cheesemold and apply 18 kg of weight for 3 hours( i don't have a cheesepress at home and improvised like that )

15) Carefully remove the cheese and float it in the earlier prepared cold SALT BRINE for 3 hours ( flip the cheese every 45 minutes to ensure even rind development):

16) Pat dry the cheese and you will feel that the outer surface begun to harden

17) Place cheese in the refrigerator to ripen for 25 days. Turn it every day and i also covered it in order to prevent that it gets too dry on surface:

Well it has done almost all the 25 days but there is only half left :-) i keep tasting it it is very nice ...so i made another one but the pressing was not as successful so i am looking into get myself a cheesepress.

I have ordered cheesewax which will arrive soon and once that is on i will stop tasting it just a little bit here and there making the gouda shrink so fast :-)

Was the bacterial culture still viable after shipping and spending time unrefrigirated (exposed to high heat,its summer in thailand isnt it?)

It was a powdered direct set meso starter which i don't think has much of temperature problems- when my ingredients have arrived i have almost all things (including vegetable tablets ) in the freezer ....i have another shipment of ingredients currently en-route .